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Why Every American Needs a 72 Hour Emergency Kit

When disaster strikes, it can take up to 72 hours before responders can reach the call. As only 53 percent of Americans have even some supplies for survival, three days is too long to be without the assistance necessary to prevent fatality. Amy Sandoz, Owner of Ready Set Go Kits, saw firsthand the implications of natural disasters through her volunteer work with the Red Cross and created a survival kit company to address the needs of safety in emergency situations

“When it comes to protecting yourself and those you love, whether it be in your home, work or as part of an active lifestyle, emergency preparedness is crucial. Our 72 hour kits are a cost effective solution for survival in your home, office, classroom or outdoor adventure. We now even have a kit for pets,” she said.

Each kit is a backpack stocked with supplies advised by experts in the emergency preparedness industry. The kits are thirty percent less expensive than a make-it-yourself and can be used both indoors and outdoors. They include supplies for eating, drinking, communication, shelter and warmth, sanitation and first aid.

The kits also include room for personalization with items like medications and personal health care products. This is a feature that Lucien Canton, former Director of Emergency Services for the City of San Francisco, sees as an added benefit. He also notes that emergency kits, like the Ready Set Go Kits, should address needs for every kind of disaster response. “You need to have the flexibility for both staying home or evacuating,” Canton said.

For those who have prepared emergency kits, the benefits are apparent during a disaster. Rob Hayes protected his family with his kit as they waited one and a half days for help after Hurricane Charlie hit Tallahassee, Florida in 2004.

“Knowing that we had enough water for a few days, extra medical supplies and an emergency home repair kit made a huge difference in how we felt facing each of these storms… every single person should have a disaster kit, period,” Hayes said.

Kim Fuller, survivor of the December 2006 ice storm in Tulsa, Oklahoma, mentioned that the natural disaster demonstrated the need for 72 hour kits structured like the Ready Set Go Kit. “I needed it [her generic kit] to be a backpack type thing because you really need to have your hands free, and to assume that your stuff could get wet,” she said.

Regardless of the emergency, Ready Set Go Kits can address the specific needs of location and disaster. Sandoz is confident in the “power of preparedness.” “I myself have several kits. I am an avid snowboarder and adventure seeker. I stock my car and my house with supplies that will keep me and my family alive in the worst of situations,” she said.